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It's ScuttleButton Time!

Ken Rudin collection

I'm on vacation this week, and thus no Political Junkie column, Talk of the Nation appearance or podcast for me. But giving up ScuttleButton? No way.

ScuttleButton, of course, is that once-a-week waste of time exercise in which each Monday or Tuesday I put up a vertical display of buttons on this site. Your job is to simply take one word (or concept) per button, add 'em up, and, hopefully, you will arrive at a famous name or a familiar expression. (And seriously, by familiar, I mean it's something that more than one person on Earth would recognize.)

For years, a correct answer chosen at random would get his or her name posted in this column, an incredible honor in itself. Now the stakes are even higher. Thanks to the efforts of the folks at Talk of the Nation, that person also hears their name mentioned on the Wednesday show (by me) and receives a Political Junkie t-shirt in the bargain. Is this a great country or what?

You can't use the comments box at the bottom of the page for your answer. Send submission (plus your name and city/state — you won't win without that) to politicaljunkie@npr.org.

(Why do people keep forgetting to include their name and city/state?)

And, by adding your name to the Political Junkie mailing list, you will be among the first on your block to receive notice about the column and the puzzle. Sign up at politicaljunkie@npr.org. Or you can make sure to get an automatic RSS feed whenever a new Junkie post goes up by clicking here.

Good luck!

By the way, I always announce the winner on Wednesday's Junkie segment on TOTN — seven or eight days after the puzzle goes up. So you should try and get your answer in as soon as possible. But logistically, you have about a week to submit your guess.

Here are the buttons used and the answer to last week's puzzle:

L-F-G Nov. 7th — As everyone figured out the moment they laid eyes on this button, it's from the 1961 New York City Republican ticket: Louis Lefkowitz for mayor, Paul Fino for City Council President and Jack Gilhooley for Comptroller. All three lost to the Democratic ticket led by Mayor Robert Wagner Jr.

No More Bull****/M.-B. — A 1969 New York City mayoral button of Democratic candidates Norman Mailer for mayor and Jimmy Breslin for city council president.

N Need Nixon Now — Richard Nixon was elected president in 1968.

Terry Miller Governor — Miller lost the 1982 Republican primary in Alaska.

My President (photo of Bill Clinton in his hippie-but-didn't-inhale days) — Never could determine if this was a pro- or anti-Clinton button.

Bonner County Sportsmen's Assn/Idaho (picture of a trout and a deer) — Not exactly a political button but I didn't have much choice.

Watson — Albert Watson was the Republican candidate for governor of South Carolina in 1970.

So, when you combine L + M + N + Terry + My + Deer + Watson, you may just very well end up with ...

Elementary My Dear Watson. The line that Sherlock Holmes never actually said to his assistant Watson in any of the Arthur Conan Doyle books. (The movie is another story.)

The winner, chosen completely at random, is ... Jeff Troia of Madison, Wis. Jeff gets not only the coveted Political Junkie t-shirt — but the Official No Prize Button as well!

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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